| layout | page |
|---|---|
| title | Linked Open Data |
| permalink | /linked-open-data |
Linked Open Data (LOD) is a way of publishing information so that it can be Found in, be Accessible to, Interoperate with, and be Reused across different systems (FAIR). Instead of keeping data locked inside a single database or project, LOD uses shared identifiers, vocabularies, and standards to make relationships explicit, linking places, periods, people, and objects across collections.
In practice, this means that data created by different researchers, projects and institutions, using different tools, can be combined, compared, or visualised together. LOD does not replace existing catalogues or datasets; it adds a layer of meaning that helps them speak to one another.
Read more about Linked Open Data (LOD) and FAIR principles.
Linking data makes it more useful — for you, for your collaborators, and for anyone who works with historical or heritage information.
When your data uses shared place identifiers, period definitions, or controlled vocabularies, it becomes easier to:
- Connect your dataset with other projects that use the same standards
- Discover new relationships or patterns that were hidden in isolated systems
- Reuse your work in visualisations, maps, timelines, and analytical tools
- Collaborate across disciplines, collections, and institutions
- Sustain your research over time, because others can understand and build on it
Linking does not require large infrastructure or complex models. Even small, lightweight connections — a shared place reference, mention of the same person, a common period definition — help bring different datasets into a wider conversation. This is Pelagios's particular focus, or the "Pelagios way".
These animations were funded by the AHRC for the Linking Islands of Data project, led by Pelagios Partners, Professor Daniel Pett and Professor Elton Barker (The Open University), in collaboration with: the Getty Museum, the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, the American Numismatics Society, Brown University, the School of Advanced Study at the University of London.
- Credits:
- animations: Ed Tracy of Too Tall Productions
- voice over: Dr Hannah Platts of Royal Holloway, University of London
- photogrammetry 3D models: Daniel Pett
- rendering of Fitzwilliam gallery: Ed Tracy
- Pausanias Peripleo mapping: Anna Foka & Alexandros Kokkinidis (Uppsala), Elton Barker (OU), Rainer Simon
- numismatics: American Numismatics Society & Nomisma
All 3D models can be found on Sketchfab and can be downloaded under CC-BY-NC license. All data (places, objects, people, events) mentioned in Pausanias are available to view and download via the Digital Periegesis website.